Purple Modern Chairs
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Pair Aubergine Scoop Swivel Lounge Chairs, Metal Base by Barbara Barry for HBF
By HBF, Barbara Barry
Located in Topeka, KS
Handsome pair of Scoop swivel lounge chairs with a metal base by Barbara Barry for HBF. This pair is in wonderful vintage condition as far as the base, frame and stability are concer...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Swivel Chairs
Materials
Metal
H 33.5 in W 28 in D 31 in
Modern Black Green Gray White Orange Pink Red Purple or Blue Rabbit Accent Chair
By Qeeboo, Stefano Giovannoni
Located in Origgio (VA), IT
Rabbit is a family of products with a strong media impact, one of Stefano Giovannoni's hat tricks, and immediately became a pop icon, a symbol of love and fertility, which brings goo...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Plastic
Fred Chair in Purple by Exit Ceren, Represented by Tuleste Factory
Located in New York, NY
Fred Chair in Purple by Ceren Arslan
2023
Suede Upholstery
W 45" x D 40" x H 30"
Item available for immediate delivery.
Please contact us for shipping quotes and customization opt...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Chairs
Materials
Suede, Acrylic
Armchair in Velvet Molteni&C by Gio Ponti D.154.2 - made in Italy
By Molteni & C, Gio Ponti
Located in New York, NY
D.154.2 Lovechair in Velvet by Gio Ponti.
Expert-crafted in Italy exclusively by Molteni&C.
The mid-century D.154.2 lovechair features a shell-like structure inspired by renowned It...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
Materials
Velvet
Bondi Stackable Dining Chair in Ashwood
By Fräg Woodall, Please Wait to be Seated
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Please Wait to be Seated Bondi chair is inspired by designer Frag Woodall's earliest memories of watching artisans at work, fascinated by the way they joined and fitted timber. The s...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Wood
Handcrafted Matrice Chair in Gold Steel and Blue Velvet
By Studio Tawla
Located in MONTROZIER, FR
Matrice side chair is a steel corset compressing a velvet fleece, an organic, carnal form, compressed by a wire mesh. The interaction of two antagonistic materials reminds us of the ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel, Metal
Chair Post Steltman by Alessandro Guerriero for Alchimia Redesign Collection
By Alessandro Guerriero
Located in Milan, Italy
Chair re-designed by Alessandro Guerriero for the Alchimia Redesign Collection. The piece is a tribute to the famous Steltman chair designed by Gerrit Rietveld. The chair is made of ...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Plexiglass
H 27.56 in W 19.69 in D 17.72 in
Chair in Wood and Leather Molteni&C by Tobia Scarpa - Made in Italy - Miss
By Molteni & C, Tobia Scarpa
Located in New York, NY
Miss Chair in Wood and Leather by Afra and Tobia Scarpa.
Expert-crafted in Italy exclusively by Molteni&C.
Husband and wife powerhouse designers Afra and Tobias Scarpa conceived o...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Ash
Domo Stool Geometric Accent Chair
By Larissa Batista
Located in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul
A decorative chair featuring a geometric design.
Larissa Batista began designing the Jolly Seats Collection as an artistic depiction of early-20th-century’s Cubism movement. Eventua...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Foam
Fried Egg Three Tone Chair, by Hans Olsen from Warm Nordic
By Hans Olsen
Located in Viby J, DK
A unique asymmetrical lounge chair, designed by the highly acclaimed Danish architect, Hans Olsen in the 1950s. Fried egg is also available in an exclusive anniversary edition with s...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Lounge Chairs
Materials
Foam
e15 Mr. Collins Stool by Stefan Diez
By Stefan Diez, e15
Located in New York, NY
With its dynamic form and ergonomic comfort, Mr. Collins is an endearing stool applicable in diverse arrangements for living or working situations. Based on couture construction meth...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Stools
Materials
Wood
Kartell Calice Stool in Violet by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Calice vase is included in the "Kartell goes Sottsass - A Tribute to Memphis" collection, launched in homage to the movement founded by design guru Ettore Sottsass.
Dimensio...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Stools
Materials
Plastic
Tube Chair in Canaletto Walnut, Upholster Seat, by Giopato & Coombes
By Miniforms, Giopato & Coombes
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This tube chair is available with a Canaletto wood structure, and an upholstered seat in the listed fabrics. The tube chair is also available in beech and solid oak wood.
Cristian...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Wood, Upholstery
Violet / Purple Rabbit Chair, Made in Italy
By Stefano Giovannoni
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Scroll down and click "view all from Seller" to see more than 500 other unique products. (2.2)
The idea of the rabbit, a gentle, lovable and shy animal, comes from the association o...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Plastic
Vintage Japanese Boro & Blackened Steel Chair
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Chair by Stephen Kenn is as comfortable as it is unique. The design features an exposed construction composed of three elements - a steel frame, plush upholstery, and...
Category
2010s American Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal, Steel
e15 Houdini Side Chair by Stefan Diez
By Stefan Diez, e15
Located in New York, NY
E15 celebrates ten years of chair Houdini by Stefan Diez with a curated palette of anniversary colors. In his search for an ergonomic, organic seating shell without involving expensi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Side Chairs
Materials
Wood
Large Pink Decorative Sculptural Modern Plastic Rabbit Chair
By Stefano Giovannoni, Qeeboo
Located in Origgio (VA), IT
Rabbit is a family of products with a strong media impact, one of Stefano Giovannoni's hat tricks, and immediately became a pop icon, a symbol of love and fertility, which brings goo...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Plastic
Ola Chair with Armrest in Violet 19 Pink Upholstery & Satin Brass Legs by Saba
By Saba Italia
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Ola family extends to the dining room: Ola chair originates from the same concept of curved sheets, each converging towards a single center point. Four sheets become two sheets f...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Upholstery
H 31.5 in W 24.41 in D 23.23 in
Customizable Artifort Orange Slice Junior Chair by Pierre Paulin
By Artifort, Pierre Paulin
Located in New York, NY
If you’re a design-lover and your son or daughter likes to have their own chair with the “big people” then Artifort’s Junior Collection is for you. Like the junior version of the Ora...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Children's Furniture
Materials
Textile
Anat Chair, Outdoor by Rejo Studio
By REJO design studio
Located in Riyadh, SA
We always wanted to design a chair to sit on it freely in any way using the arch shape- the closest lines to the human body- which perfectly harmonizes with our body and our way of s...
Category
2010s Saudi Arabian Modern Stools
Materials
Metal
Kartell Madame Chair in Rome Print by Philippe Starck
By Philippe Starck, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Thanks to its neutral colour palette, this chair makes the ideal furniture piece for inserting in sophisticated residential interiors or the most refined contract projects.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
Materials
Fabric
Jasper Morrison Small Hi Pad Stool in Fabric or Leather Upholstery by Cappellini
By Jasper Morrison, Cappellini
Located in New York, NY
The Hi pad chair, and accompanying Hi pad Stool, are the result of a production process that represents the perfect balance between technology and artisan craftsmanship: in these pie...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Stools
Materials
Foam, Beech, Plywood
21st Century WEENball Chair by Alex Brokamp and Madsteez
Located in Dubai, AE
The WEENball chair is a playful functional conversation piece for the home. The chair is inspired by uncommon upholstery techniques paired with a delicate childlike sophistication.
...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Chairs
Materials
Glass
Goldfinger Velvet and Brass Dining Chair
By Jonathan Adler
Located in New York, NY
Minimalist comfort. Pared down geometry in polished brass meets Rialto navy velvet in our Goldfinger collection. A little bit, 1970s, a lot today. Goldfinger is the winning ticket th...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Brass
Mariolina Chair in Anthracite Metal Legs, Silk Gray Shell, by E-GGs
By Miniforms, E-GGS
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This Mariolina chair is offered with iron legs in anthracite, a shell in polypropylene silk grey and the option to select an upholstered cushion material for your chair. The iron leg...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Leda Cushion Armchair in Black Metal Base, by Francesco Beghetto
By Miniforms, Francesco Beghetto
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This Leda chair with is shown with an upholstered cushion and armrests, as well as in the black Metal structure. The chair is available without arms as well, and in a white metal bas...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
Materials
Metal
Jasper Morrison Hi Pad Chair in Beech Plywood & Fabric or Leather for Cappellini
By Cappellini, Jasper Morrison
Located in New York, NY
The Hi pad chair, and accompanying Hi pad stool, are the result of a production process that represents the perfect balance between technology and artisan craftsmanship: in these pie...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Foam, Beech, Plywood
Mula Chair in Black Metal Leg Base with Upholstery Seat, by E-GGs
By E-GGS, Miniforms
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mula chair is offered with iron rebar metal base, varnished in black. The seat and back are made with an injected flame-retardant polyurethane foam, upholstered in the listed fabrics...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
Danese Milano Abchair Chair Violet with Red Seat by Paolo Rizzatto
By Danese Milano, Paolo Rizzatto
Located in Hicksville, NY
Abchair is a stackable seat made from a single sheet of anodized aluminium. The structure is made of two laser-cut parts that are that are shaped like teeth of a comb. These are then...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
Customizable Artifort Apollo Lounge Chair by Patrick Norguet
By Artifort, Patrick Norguet
Located in New York, NY
A sweeping stroke of elegant calligraphy. Poised. Open. Ergonomics at its best. Destined to be a Classic. Designed by Patrick Norguet, the Apollo radiates balance and harmony. Develo...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Lounge Chairs
Materials
Textile
Kobalt Blue Double Chaise Longue couch DC 112 wool, Colour 747 Divina Melange 3
By Max Jungblut
Located in Maastricht, NL
This masterpiece is upholstered with the best expertise in a felt woollen finish.
It is a full-cloth 100% wool product by Kvadrat, where the surface becomes smooth, directionless and...
Category
2010s European Modern Lounge Chairs
Materials
Wool
H 31.5 in W 54.73 in D 59.45 in
Ghidini 1961 Katana Lounge Chair in Fabric and Satin Brass by Paolo Rizzatto
By Paolo Rizzatto, Ghidini 1961
Located in Villa Carcina, IT
In the Katana sofa, Paolo Rizzatto, being the refined and expert designer he is, puts great care in the proportions of the structural elements of the product. In the elliptical leg, ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lounge Chairs
Materials
Fabric
Storm Blue Gray Club chair “Club 112” in a felt woollen finish, Colour 647 MD
By Max Jungblut
Located in Maastricht, NL
The Club 112 series by Max Jungblut has a timeless design with the potential to become a new classic.
This ultimate seating is designed and handcrafted in the Netherlands. It is a C...
Category
2010s European Modern Club Chairs
Materials
Wool
H 31.5 in W 36.62 in D 35.83 in
Kobalt Blue Club chair Club 112 in a felt woollen finish, Colour 747 MD
By Max Jungblut
Located in Maastricht, NL
This masterpiece is upholstered with the best expertise in a full-cloth 100% wool felt woollen finished product by Kvadrat, where the surface becomes smooth, directionless and unifor...
Category
2010s European Modern Club Chairs
Materials
Wool
H 31.5 in W 36.62 in D 35.83 in
Jasper Morrison Lotus High Chair in Polished Chrome for Cappellini
By Cappellini, Jasper Morrison
Located in New York, NY
The Lotus (High), by Jasper Morrison, is part of a complete collection of chairs, envisioned to be easily adaptable for both domestic and variegated professional settings. Available ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
Materials
Metal
Handcrafted Matrice Chair in Black Steel and Blue Velvet Customizable
By Studio Tawla
Located in MONTROZIER, FR
Matrice chair is a subtle steel corset that compresses a soft and comfortable material; a nice reminder of the Italian traditional expertise, when the blown glass was assembling the ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel, Metal
Mula Chair in Stained Black Ash Base, Upholstery Seat, by E-GGs
By E-GGS, Miniforms
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mula chair is offered with black stained wooden ash base with seat and back in injected flame-retardant polyurethane foam upholstered in the listed fabrics. The body is packed separa...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Upholstery, Wood
Hand-Dyed Indigo Canvas and Antique Brass Chair - Extra Wide
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Sleek and refined, the Inheritance Chair is a great addition to nearly any space. This particular option features an extra wide seat of 36" for a roomy lounge option.
Inspired by a...
Category
2010s American Modern Chairs
Materials
Brass
Hand-Dyed Indigo Canvas and Blackened Steel Chair
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Sleek and refined, the Inheritance Chair is a great addition to nearly any space.
Inspired by a worn-in pair of jeans and created alongside the team at Simon Miller, USA, our indi...
Category
2010s American Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Hand-Dyed Indigo Canvas and Antique Brass Corner Chair
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Inheritance Corner Chair can be used as a standalone piece, or as part of a modular sectional with other Inheritance pieces.
Inspired by a worn-in pair of jeans and created alon...
Category
2010s American Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
IHand-Dyed Indigo Canvas and Antique Copper Chair
By Stephen Kenn
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Sleek and refined, the Inheritance Chair is a great addition to nearly any space.
Inspired by a worn-in pair of jeans and created alongside the team at Simon Miller, USA, our indig...
Category
2010s American Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Promemoria Bilou Bilou Stool Covered in Fabric by Romeo Sozzi
By Promemoria
Located in Valmadrera (LC), IT
Bilou Bilou is a stool that takes its aesthetic from one of Promemoria's most beloved chairs. Its iconic and unique shape, combined with unusual finishes, make this object a proper m...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Stools
Materials
Bronze
Promemoria Bilou Bilou Chair Covered in Fabric by Romeo Sozzi
By Promemoria
Located in Valmadrera (LC), IT
Romeo Sozzi does not hide it, the dining chair Bilou Bilou is just his personal interpretation of the cafè Thonet chair. Bilou Bilou is a chair with structure and covering in velvet;...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Wood, Fabric
Promemoria Isotta Chair in Fabric by Romeo Sozzi
By Promemoria
Located in Valmadrera (LC), IT
Isotta is a padded dining chair, characterized by a linear style, which enhances the softness of the shapes. The legs are in brown beech, with a padded back and fabric or leather uph...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Beech
Seat Belt Rocking Chair
Located in Phoenix, AZ
This incredibly comfortable chair is made out of the same material that makes seatbelts! Very cozy and a fantastic conversation starter- not to mention that it is great looking from ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Modern Chairs
Children's Ballet Chair, Mohair and Cast Aluminum, Jordan Mozer, USA 1992-2018
By Jordan Mozer
Located in Chicago, IL
Jordan Mozer (b. 1958), Children's Ballet Chair, (Small): Midnight Blue Wool Mohair and Cast Magnesium-Aluminum, Made in Chicago. 1992/2018. Prototypical, signed. Collection of the a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
H 30 in W 19 in D 21 in
Padus Dining Chair with Bronze Patina Finish, Contemporary, Art Deco Inspired
By Alexander Purcell Rodrigues
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Padus dining and host chair are a graceful, contemporary nod to Art Moderne. A refined curvilinear metal base majestically elevates and defines the upholstered seat and back which si...
Category
2010s American Modern Chairs
Materials
Metal
H 32.5 in W 22 in D 21.5 in
Philippe Starck Caprice 245 Chair
By Philippe Starck
Located in Hudson, NY
In good used condition. Wear to fabric at the edge. No major flaw to mention.
Category
Early 2000s Modern Chairs
Materials
Chrome
Bleecker Stool
By Frank Carfaro
Located in New York, NY
Shown in Stainless Steel and Maharam Aria 026 Plunge.
Measures 16in x 18in H.
Each Desiron piece is hand-crafted in the U.S.A., fully customizable and available in a variety of fini...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary North American Modern Stools
Materials
Stainless Steel
'Curved Chair' Felt Padded and Coated Steel in Customizable Color
By Nina Cho
Located in Detroit, MI
I refined a single broad bend in creating a shell for a chair. Cutting a pie shape away from a circle and curving it to connect the edges creates the three dimensional chair seat, ba...
Category
2010s American Modern Chairs
Materials
Base Metal
Elettra Chair by B.B.P.R
Located in Berlin, DE
Designed by B.B.P.R. in Italy, 1954.
We can offer the re-issue of this Classic chair, upholstered in purple wool mix fabric, black metal frame.
Category
Vintage 1950s European Modern Chairs
Minimal Modern One of a Kind Blue and Gold Sling Hanging Swing Chair
By Joanina and David Pastoll
Located in Johannesburg, ZA
Stripped away from all excess, this hanging chair has a circular frame with the seat made of leather hanging loose within it, to create a sleek, sexy, and oh so comfortable experienc...
Category
2010s South African Modern Chairs
Materials
Steel
Wink Yellow Chair by Masquespacio
By Masquespacio
Located in Geneve, CH
Wink yellow chair by Masquespacio
Dimensions: H 83 x W 42 cm
Materials: Robust curved iron tubebathed in 24 Carats gold
Structure: 20 mm robust curved iron tubebathed in 24 C...
Category
2010s Spanish Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Metal
Wittmann Set of Two Velvet Josef Hoffmann Alleegasse Chairs - In Stock
By Wittmann, Josef Hoffmann
Located in New York, NY
VILLA GALLIA ARMCHAIR
DESIGNED BY JOSEF HOFFMANN
Harold 3 Lilac 632
black/white piping.
Wood frame
fabric damaged in transit, otherwise new chairs.
Category
2010s Austrian Modern Armchairs
Materials
Velvet
H 28.75 in W 27.96 in D 24.81 in
Sling Outdoor Hanging Swing Seat, Vegan Enviro Friendly
By Joanina and David Pastoll
Located in Johannesburg, ZA
Our Outdoor Sling hanging chair - a great offering for outside and under patio use - come rain or shine.
We support products that are created to be gentle on the planet - and these ...
Category
2010s South African Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
Materials
Steel
In Stock in Los Angeles, Set of 2 Tino, Lilac / Purple Elephant Children Chair
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Scroll down and click "view all from Seller" to see more than 500 other unique products. (2.2)
In Stock in Los Angeles
Set of 2 chairs.
A children’s chair and a toy too. A transacti...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Children's Furniture
Materials
Plastic
H 14.97 in W 13.78 in L 14.97 in
Purple Velvet Baby Rabbit Chair, Designed by Stefano Giovannoni, Made in Italy
By Stefano Giovannoni
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Scroll down and click "view all from Seller" to see more than 500 other unique products. (2.2)
The idea of the rabbit, a gentle, lovable and shy animal, comes from the association o...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Velvet
H 10.32 in W 17.84 in L 10.32 in
In Stock in Los Angeles, Tino, Lilac / Purple Elephant Children's Chair
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Scroll down and click "view all from Seller" to see more than 400 other unique products. (2.2)
In Stock in Los Angeles
A children’s chair and a toy too. A transactional object that ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Children's Furniture
Materials
Plastic
H 23.63 in W 13.78 in D 14.97 in
In Stock in Los Angeles, Violet / Purple Baby Rabbit Chair, Made in Italy
By Stefano Giovannoni
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Scroll down and click "view all from Seller" to see more than 400 other unique products. (2.2)
In Stock in Los Angeles
The idea of the rabbit, a gentle, lovable and shy animal, come...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chairs
Materials
Plastic
H 20.75 in W 17.84 in D 10.32 in
Set of 2, 1 Blue Leather Chair and Desk, Made in Italy
By Gordon Guillaumier
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Scroll down and click "view all from Seller" to see more than 400 other unique products. (1.8)
Set of 2, 1 Blue Leather Chair and Desk
The twain desk has a lacquered brushed steel f...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel
- 1
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Purple Modern Chairs For Sale on 1stDibs
An assortment of purple modern chairs is available at 1stDibs. The range of distinct purple modern chairs — often made from fabric, metal and wood — can elevate any home. There are 6 antique and vintage purple modern chairs for sale at 1stDibs, while we also have 40 modern editions to choose from as well. Purple modern chairs have been made for many years, and versions that date back to the 20th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 21st Century. There have been many well-made purple modern chairs over the years, but those made by Miniforms, Stefano Giovannoni and Stephen Kenn are often thought to be among the most beautiful.
How Much are Purple Modern Chairs?
Prices for purple modern chairs start at $134 and top out at $10,511 with the average selling for $1,166.
A Close Look at Modern Furniture
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”
Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.
Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair — crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.
It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.
Finding the Right Chairs for You
Chairs are an indispensable component of your home and office. Can you imagine your life without the vintage, new or antique chairs you love?
With the exception of rocking chairs, the majority of the seating in our homes today — Windsor chairs, chaise longues, wingback chairs — originated in either England or France. Art Nouveau chairs, the style of which also originated in those regions, embraced the inherent magnificence of the natural world with decorative flourishes and refined designs that blended both curved and geometric contour lines. While craftsmanship and styles have evolved in the past century, chairs have had a singular significance in our lives, no matter what your favorite chair looks like.
“The chair is the piece of furniture that is closest to human beings,” said Hans Wegner. The revered Danish cabinetmaker and furniture designer was prolific, having designed nearly 500 chairs over the course of his lifetime. His beloved designs include the Wishbone chair, the wingback Papa Bear chair and many more.
Other designers of Scandinavian modernist chairs introduced new dynamics to this staple with sculptural flowing lines, curvaceous shapes and efficient functionality. The Paimio armchair, Swan chair and Panton chair are vintage works of Finnish and Danish seating that left an indelible mark on the history of good furniture design.
“What works good is better than what looks good, because what works good lasts,” said Ray Eames.
Visionary polymaths Ray and Charles Eames experimented with bent plywood and fiberglass with the goal of producing affordable furniture for a mass market. Like other celebrated mid-century modern furniture designers of elegant low-profile furnishings — among them Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Finn Juhl — the Eameses considered ergonomic support, durability and cost, all of which should be top of mind when shopping for the perfect chair. The mid-century years yielded many popular chairs.
The Eameses introduced numerous icons for manufacturer Herman Miller, such as the Eames lounge chair and ottoman, molded plywood dining chairs the DCM and DCW (which can be artfully mismatched around your dining table) and a wealth of other treasured pieces for the home and office.
A good chair anchors us to a place and can become an object of timeless appeal. Take a seat and browse the rich variety of vintage, new and antique chairs on 1stDibs today.
Questions About Purple Modern Chairs
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Yes, Wassily chairs are indeed considered mid-century modern. Although the chair was initially designed by Marcel Breuer in 1925, it was re-released in the 1960s. Shop a collection of mid-century modern goods from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 3, 2023Some iconic chairs from the mid-century modern era include the Egg chair by Arne Jacobson, the La Chaise by Charles and Ray Eames and the Womb chair by Eero Saarinen. With their clean lines, organic shapes and simple details, these chairs reflect some of the key features of the style. Shop a variety of mid-century modern chairs on 1stDibs.
Read More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
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New Orleans’ Lee Ledbetter Makes Design Magic by Mixing Past and Present
The Louisiana-born and -bred architect talks to 1stdibs about the art of making timeless places that matter.
How a Modernist Hamptons Home on the Water Became the Ideal Weekend Refuge
Damon Liss and Stelle Lomont Rouhani Architects collaborated on this serene getaway for a minimalism-minded Manhattan family of four.
Desert Modern Designer Arthur Elrod Finally Gets His Day in the Sun
The Palm Springs interior decorator developed a mid-century style that defined the vacation homes of celebrities and other notables, including Bob Hope and Lucille Ball.
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